Dreaming: a gateway to the unconscious?
Steve Paulson, Deirdre Barrett, Kelly Bulkeley, Rubin Naiman
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences October 1, 2017 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13389 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Panel discussion Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | PTSD Dreaming |
| Keywords | Freud Jung Rem sleep Big dreams Blind analysis Comparative religion Consciousness Continuity hypothesis Lucid dreams Manifesting Prefrontal cortex Synchronicity |
| Key points | Dreams may serve psychological and spiritual functions beyond being mere brain noise, as explored by a panel of experts. |
Abstract
Where do our dreams originate from, and what do they tell us? Is there a universal set of symbols that are common to all dreams, regardless of a person's ethnicity or culture? What does dreaming reveal about the unconscious? Why do some dreams remain etched in our memories, whereas others are almost instantly forgotten? Some scientists have adopted the position that dreams are little more than noise in the brain, without any substantive purpose or function. Yet, such a stance seemingly runs counter to the experience of many people who reflect upon and even analyze their dreams, often in search of clues to their daily lives or insights into their deeper selves. Similarly, in virtually all wisdom traditions, dreams are invoked as an important source of revelation or prophecy. Steve Paulson, executive producer and host of To the Best of Our Knowledge, moderated a discussion that included psychologist Deirdre Barrett, dream researcher Kelly Bulkeley, and psychologist and sleep/dream medicine specialist Rubin Naiman; they examined dreams from a variety of perspectives to answer these questions.